Kids Are Having Tonsilectomy and Adnoids removed....HELP!

I hope the hospital told you that there will need to be an adult present with each of the kids in recovery... they can't share you there like they do at home. You will also need to make arrangements for the third child while you are at the hospital. When my daughter had her tonsils and adenoids removed, my husband and I were both with her... and that is just for one child.

I just had my daughters both out last week so its fresh in my mind.... it was the easiest thing ever so dont think too much... they stuck in a movie and she watched it afterwards and we were out of the drs office before noon... she came home watched tv was FINE.... never even needed the pain medication after the second day... no bleeding.. i couldnt believe it... i had stressed out for nothing... good luck ... L.

Do not feed them anything after midnight the night before surgery. This is because of the anesthesia. They are going to hurt. This is a painful procedure, but they will get better. Don't shy away from the pain medicine they give the girls. They will need it. Keep the food cold and soft. Be prepared to have some bad days. One girl may handle it better than the other. Everyone has different pain tolerances. Do everything your doctor tells you to do. Don't be creative...follow what he/she says. Hope that helps, my son had it done 3 years ago.

My son had his tonsils and adnoids removed a few days b4 his 4th bday just this past nov. He also had to have the tubes he already had removed (they had grown into the skin) and replaced. Every kid is different and what you do for them depends on them. His dr. told me to feed him regular food asap. because it helped to keep the scabs from forming and make the recovery time much quicker. He at chicken nuggets and fries as soon as we got home. He had pizza for supper that night. They did suggest that he avoid soda unless I let it go flat first and that I make sure he get plenty of fluids. My son is a nonstop talking machine since he learned how to coo. He slept in the recovery room and on the 30 minute ride home then he was up and going like normal for the rest of the afternoon. He took the pain meds the first two days and then refused it due to the taste after that. They said that the 7th - 10th day were the worst (as far as any side effects)but he was fine. His throat itched for two weeks and his voice was diferent for a month but he made a quick and easy recovery. You might call your dr.'s nurse before the surgery and ask what they suggest to stock up on. Good luck and best wishes.

My daughter didn't want the cold/sweet stuff. She wanted mashed potatoes and mac-n-cheese. She was 5 when we had everything done, including tubes. Just remember to make the drink plenty!!! If they don't drink enough their fever will go up and you might end up at the ER. Good Luck and God Bless!

My son had his tonsils and adnoids removed and tubes put in his ears all at the same time. The only thing I can tell you is after the surgery all my son wanted to do was sleep. His surgery went real well but he had a hard time with the anesthesia he kept throwing up after the surgery where he couldn't even keep water down so we ended up spending all day at the hospital but like I said that was from the anesthesia. The next day he drank a little and had ice cream but he honestly didn't feel like eating much. Of course every child is different. My son was 6 when he had this done. The changes ever since the surgery are wonderful he no longer gets sick. In fact it's been a little over a year since he had it done and he has yet to even get a cold. BIG difference from before having the procedure done..I felt like he was sick all the time. Wish you the best and if there are any questions you have please let me know.
Thanks-M.

My now 12 year old daughter had hers removed a couple of years back, her appointment was scheduled in the early morning and she was a little nervous. The nursing staff where she had the procedure done was great. After the procedure, she was very sleepy and in a little pain. She was nauseated and did loose it (it was all the blood that she had swallowed, I guess), but after that she was fine and is doing great. Just let nature takes its course (let the kids sleep, watch movies or tv), keep them calm for a couple of days. They will be able to tell you want they want and what they want to do.

I used to get strep throat a lot and never got it again once my tonsils were gone. Good for them :)

My son had tubes put in his ears and his adnoids out when he was almost 3. I thought it would be this horrible thing but except for when he woke up with the IV, he did great. The warned me that he might panic about the IV but I didn't realize how bad it would be. I fed him the night before like usual and put him to bed at the normal time. They gave him a juice pop as soon as he woke up and he actually ate 2 at the hospital! He was up and running around after nap time that same day. In fact I took off a whole weeks worth of work but he went back to school after the max 3 days they said he should be out of daycare. I am so happy about how everything turned out. He didn't talk as well as he should because his ears were so blocked from all the ear infections that he . But he caught up in no time and now at 5 we can't keep him from talking.

Good Luck
Hope this helps.

Well, my son only had his adenoids removed and he actually slept most of the day but was ready to eat and was actually in good spirits that same evening too! Husband & I were expecting the worse but were blessed. We still were his side and servants for a day or two. And boy, the results he (and us) had were overwhelming! Our home could sleep through the night. It's been just wonderful. I know our son is sleeping so much better. It ended up that this adenoids were 3x larger than normal (which did not show up to that extent)in the x-rays.
If your children have already had their surgery, I bet things are better now. Either way, I'll say a prayer for you.

I kept my children up and gave them a snack and it worked wonderfully. It sounds like your well prepared. Good luck!

HI A.,

Two of my kids had tonsils and adenoids removed at 3 and 4yrs. They will be fussy when they come out of anethesia. The medicine makes them really cranky, not just the pain. You will have to wait for the medicine to wear off before you are able to console them. My daughter had a harder time. She cried so hard she busted her stitches and had to go back in. That is rare. Some nausea is common. Have a favorite washable toy or blanket. We had to force my daughter to drink. My son wanted something to drink right after surgery. We had to keep telling him not yet. Each child is different. My daughters ENT said no talking for 48 hours, no straws, no milk products (mucous producer), and no chips for several weeks. Luckily my daughter loved to watch TV. We got her some new movies and a drawing board you can erase. She was happy to be on the sofa or Mommy & Daddy's bed. My son did not want to rest. He wanted to play. We just told him he had to sit while he played and no talking so his throat could rest. Give the pain medicine as prescribed the first few days. Whether it hurts or not. It made life easier for all of us. When the medicine wore off it hurt and took time to catch up (my little boy was impatient). We lived on chicken broth, mashed potatoes (our nurse said potatoes were good for nausea), popsicles in a bowl, jello, apple juice. No orange juice or soda, the acid and carbonation hurt the throat.

If your kids can handle it talk to them about what will happen. Knowing what to expect helps nerves. We told our kids the doctor or nurse will ask you questions, take your temperature, blood pressure, look in your throat, etc. They were going to sleep while the doctor took out the spot in their throat that was hurting. We would be in the room when they woke up. Our DR gave them some liquid medicine to make them sleepy. That way when they come to get the kids they are more relaxed. The procedure itself does not take long.

Do you have help? It can be stressful taking care of two down and out kids at once. The first few days are the worst.

I know it is hard for Mom's too. As for sleep or late snack use your Mommy Radar. You know what will work best for your kids.

I hope this helps.

I had mine removed when I was 11. When I woke up, my throat was very swollen... all I wanted was a drink of water, and all they gave me was tiny ice chips. I threw up a lot of blood and felt like I was choking. My epiglottis was very swollen, and I thought it was a blood clot and tried to pull it out... which hurt a lot. The whole week, I did not have much appetite or engery. I passed out in the shower, but my mom was nearby and caught me. I slept a lot and it took several weeks to get my stamina back. I watched some movies, but overall, I didn't feel like doing anything. Eventually, I went back to school, and my stitches started to itch in my throat. A little cough and wiggle my tounge and they came out one by one.

Both my children have had the TNA done. My son had it when he was 3 and my daughter when she was 2. I would say to let them get a good night sleep and that they can look forward to lots of fun treats afterwords. My son did great, he had a little bit of a hard time after the drugs but otherwise he was up playing that night. My daughter was younger and it was a little harder on her but she didnt fully understand what was going on as her brother. No cottage cheese or dairy it makes them produce more flem and it hurts AND it makes them cought a lot. Only poweraid, water, juice things like that. I would let them pick out what color juice they want and make it fun and something to look forward to. ALSO, they will let them bring thier sleepy buddy or blanket in the OR with them, they put a little name tag on my childrens as well, so they thought it was cool that their friends were having it done as well. They will be really sore but as long as they keep the fluids going down they should only be out of the norm for 2 or 3 days. Just a lot of sleep and movies!! It is not as abd as some make it out to be. Hope that helps, let me know if you have any other questions.

no ice cream ,sherbet or cottage cheese. It has milk in it. Your kids will have THICK secretions in their mouth that they will have to swallow. Dairy makes it worse.Do jello, and popsicles.
Get their prescriptions filled before the surgery, so you can be with them afterwards.
good luck.

My son had his adenoids and tonsils removed, and I was also very nervous about how he was going to be.

The first day I brought him home, he slept off the anesthesia, and then I could not keep him from literally bouncing around the house (he is very engergetic!) It was so odd, because I pictured him sleeping for days, and eating ice cream in bed.

The next two weeks were consistent sore throat days, but he had no major side effects, and was back to his old self 3 hours after the surgery.

Good luck!!!

My 3 1/2 year old daughter had her T/A removed last May. Her surgery was not until 11am and we did not have to be at the hospital until 10am. The food and drink thing was not an issue though. We had talked about not eating and we were busy getting ready to go so I guess she just did not think about it. Lucky! We had to pre register the day before so she saw the hospital and knew where she was going. She got to pick the flavor of the gas mask.
When we got to the hospital she got to put on a neat gown and fuzzy socks. While we were waiting she got to play in a play room with all the other kids waiting for surgery. Her surgery was at a Children's Hospital. They called us back to a little room and she sat on my lap. They quickly gave her a shot of nose spray which made her loopy. She got really goofy and drowzy. Then they wheeled her away. The nose spray also causes amnesia so she remembered nothing.
Afterwards, we went in to see her in recovery. She was sad and confused but when they brought the popsicles out she got much better. She felt pretty good. We even stopped and got ice cream on the way home. (we got it to go and ate it at home but she ate 2 scoops). Keep up with the codine. Wake them up in the night to give it to them so they do not wake up hurting.
Overall I was surprised how easy it was. I had done research also and everyone said it would not be bad but I did not believe it. Turns out it was true. It really did not bother her. I did sleep with her for a few nights because the doctor had mentioned bleeding and that had scared me.
When she was feeling better we went to Target and go a toy. Her grandparents sent cards. She got to leave the hospital in a wagon. We took her own pillow and blanket and stuff to the hospital.
The surgery did help her breathing for a while but we are headed back to the ENT this month because she is snoring again. No regrets though. Oh, the codine did taste kind of yucky so we took it back to Target and they added a flavor. Oh, 2 of my kids had tubes put in at the same time and that went fine. Just make sure you have one adult per kid because they do need one on one attention in the hospital. Good luck

A.,

First you have to remember everyone comes out of anethisia differently. I had my tonsils removed at age 19, I am 43 now. The first day was fine, I had no pain, I ate. The second day I was down, the pain was bad and it was very difficult to swallow. Let your children be your guide but also ask lots of questions from your doctor as to what is most important for you to do and to be aware of. If pain meds are needed give them, it makes a world of difference. Blessings...

My 4 year old had the surgery this summer when he was 3. The surgeon did not prepare me for what would ensue. The literature he gave me was inadequate. I only found out from another mother after the fact that I should have expected the hell we went through. It is described as the worst 2 weeks of your life.

It is a hard surgery with a painful recovery. There is bleeding and pain, lack of eating and drinking. My son would not take the pain medicine and we could not force it (3 nurses and I could not hold him down to get it in him at the ER). My son became dehydrated requiring a trip to the ER for an IV. About 6-7 days post op he'd wake up spitting blood and screaming in pain. I found out later this is fairly common.

I don't mean to scare you, I just want you to know what to expect and be prepared. Doing them both at the same time is probably good from the fear factor point of view for the children, but it will be hard on you to tend to both. Very cute ideas for helping them let you know what they need, though.

My son didn't recover for almost two weeks. The pamphlet they gave me made it all sound quick and easy and not much recovery time. It's a LIE! What I have heard from other moms is that it is just a hard two weeks and it's all to be expected.

Keep in touch with your surgeon and let them know what's going on. Call the night number if they are suffering or bleeding and you can't fix it. If they do bleed (which is normal to a point) you can put ice packs around their necks. It causes a reflex that will constrict the blood vessels and stop the bleeding. Occasionally they need to have their throats cauterized to reseal the wound. We did not have to do this.

Watch for signs of dehydration (infrequent or dark urine, dry lips, tearless crying, tenting skin, etc.) Keep track of what they eat and drink so you can have an accurate picture of whether they are dehydrated or not. Find out from your pediatrician what the minimum is that they can get by on for a day so you have a guide.

They will cycle through good days and bad. They may look like they are on the mend and then have a setback - this is normal. You may not have as bad an experience as we did, but you should be ready for all the possibilities especially with two. I hope it all goes so easy for you, but know there's a sympathetic mom out there if it doesn't. Best of luck. I'll say a prayer for you all.

My son had his tonsils and adnoids out last May when he was five years old. He had been having a lot of allergies as well as snoring at night. We went to a place in almost Carrollton called Pediatric Surgery Center. It was a great facility. They brought in the little portable DVD players that look like a laptop ocmputer for him to watch a movie while he waited for his surgery. My son loved it!

Here's what we encountered that we hadn't expected. Young kids have a hard time coming out of the sleepy drugs. My son was sobbing uncontrollably. They said that was very normal. It was so hard as a parent to not be able to comfort your child. I finally held him like a baby and they brought us a warm blanket and he fell asleep. They come out of the surgery groggy. The pain medicine will help them sleep some, too. My son couldn't stand the flavor of it, and it became a battle to take that. Motrin seemed to help him just fine, too. Another gross discovery happened as soon as we got home. My son threw up and it was so nasty! It was all that mucus that had been bothering him as well as the blood that he swallowed. Once he got that out, he was fine. The nurses said that it's so important for the kids to drink every 15 minutes. The moister you can keep the scabs, the less pain the child will be in as they come off. That is 15 minutes round the clock for the first few days. Expect to be tired. Foods that he liked were things like popsicles, jello and mac and cheese. There was something they said about milk products and waiting a day or so, but I don't recall that advice anymore.

As for the recovery once you're home, our nurse told us to plan for a week of rainy day activities. If you budget allows, those portable dvd players may be a great way to keep your girls quiet while they recover. My son has a leapster hand-held game so we loaded him up with new games. Coloring books, playdough, floam and stuff like that were all hits for my son. My son's bedroom is upstairs at the exact opposite end of the house as ours, so I pulled out the sofa bed in the living room. I bought him some new spiderman sheets for the bed and set him up there so that I could keep an eye on him day and night. I bought him one of those plastic tv tables so that he could stay in the bed and eat and play. All in all, the recovery went much smother than expected.

Good luck! I hope it all goes well!
J.

The only quick advice I have is to stay away from dairy products...it increases mucus production. Sherbert, popcicles, etc are fine! I had mine taken out when I was 19, and it was rough. They say the older you are the worse the recovery, so I'm sure you're children will do fine!

Good luck!
L.

Depending on the ages, this can be a pretty rough time for the mom. Both of my kids have had this done. My son one week before age 4 and my daughter two weeks before age 7. The 4 year old had a lot less pain. Don't expect them to want to eat. Don't force food, but ABSOLUTELY force water. Avoid any tomato, apple, or orange based product. Even if they can only take a sip every few minutes, this is extremely important for pain, fever, dehydration and dry mouth (painful). My daughter had to have a little pot to spit in because swallowing warm spit hurt. Keep plenty of pain killer handy and ask the doctor about pain management. The yuckiness improves after 3-4 days and returns when the scabs fall off of the tonsils at 7 days. Expect less eating on day 7 and force fluids again for swelling and dry mouth. The doctor/nurse will tell you to that blood in the spit the day after surgery is okay, but I experienced this on day 7, also (daughter only). With both my kids, day 7 was a do nothing, "hold me, mommy" day.

The adenoids do not cause much of a problem in recovery. Good luck.

I didnt read all of your responses, so I apologize if I repeat what someone else has already said. My daughter (almost 4) just went through this a couple of weeks ago. She had her tonsils and adnoids removed along with endoscopic sinus surgery. Hers was more evasive oviously, so the recovery is a bit different, but she was pretty close to her normal-self 24 hours later. She still complained of her throat hurting and she only ate the soft stuff, popsicles do miracles. I was told no dairy (i.e. ice cream) because it causes mucus build up and you don't want that while they are healing. Just expect to give lots of hugs and kisses! They will be pretty groggy at first. They will do great and you will too! =] I think my daughter's surgery was harder on me than it was on her! Good Luck!

I wanted to add real fast....the anesthesia meds effect every child differently. When my daughter had tubes last year, she came out of surgery and screamed uncontrollably for 30 minutes. They said it was completely normal. This time she didn't cry, but about 30 minutes after surgery, she started throwing up and it was the grossest scariest thing ever. It was almost all blood and mucus. It was awful. No one warned me. They told me that during the surgery, blood goes down their throat into their stomachs. She ended up throwing up several more times until they gave her some stronger nausea meds, but once they did that, she was much better.

Feel free to write me if you have any additional questions. Good Luck!

~C.